Pre-Reading Activity/Question:


In Chapter 11, Eli Millstone released a statement that said, "Now I don't think G.T. Stoop means to be doing this town any harm, but I believe we need him to know that running for mayor with no experience and leukemia is making a travesty out of the office and is insulting the voters. We all have to understand that this man is not only sick, he's deluded. Everyone of his accusations is bosh."

Do you think there's any truth to the idea that G.T. is too sick to be mayor. Realistically, do you think his leukemia would get in the way of his job? If so, should he be able to have the job anyway?

Vocabulary:

  • curiosity (p 110)
  • revolution (p 110)
  • sincerity (Related to the way in which GT speaks to people)
  • bond (Related to GT and the women at the Tick Tock Clock Shop)
  • moderation, overkill, hectic (Related to GT's schedule)
  • taxing, lethargy (Related to GT's health)


Reading Lesson Topics:


Finding Quotes to Support a Judgement:

  • Students should find quotes that support the idea that GT is strong and would make a good mayor and quotes that support the idea that he is too weak for the job. Quotes should be about both his mental and physical state and can be taken from any chapter, although there are an abundance of quotes in Chapter 12.

  • After quotes have been found, they can be placed along a scale or rated in importance in some way. For example:

G.T. Stoop is...
< ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
weak strong


Writing Activities:


  • Constructed Response Question: Would you vote for GT after seeing how a stressful day can affect his health? Why or why not?
  • Read the first Chapter of Lance Armstrong's autobiography, It's Not Just About the Bike. What similarities do you see between Lance's reactions to cancer and GT's? What does this tell you about the novel? (Copies available in Room 302)